


The Time-Turner

by JukeboxRomeo59



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-30
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:28:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24989071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JukeboxRomeo59/pseuds/JukeboxRomeo59
Summary: Hermione encounters a strange woman who looks far too familiar. Despite knowing the potential consequences, she tries to talk to the woman. When she finally interacts with her, she's even more confused than she had been when she first laid eyes on her. As it turns out, maybe it's better not to know what the future holds and let it take you by surprise.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Ginny Weasley
Comments: 1
Kudos: 45





	The Time-Turner

The first time Hermione sees the mysterious woman outside Headmaster Dumbledore's office during her second year at Hogwarts she is certain she has gone mad. The brunette looks like a slightly taller, thinner version of herself with her hair tamed in a way Hermione could never seem to manage. If she believed her eyes, the woman could only be an older version of herself. But how? She had heard of Time-Turners before, but they could only send somebody back a few hours, not years.

The second time she sees the woman, she tries to get her attention.

"Excuse me, Miss..." Hermione calls out from across the hall, but the office door is swiftly opened and Hermione only faintly hears Dumbledore's greeting before the door is closed. It sounded eerily close to, "Mrs. Weasley."

"Impossible!"

"What?"

Hermione, unaware that anyone else was present, shrieks and jumps at the question. She turns to find Harry and Ron staring at her strangely.

"You alright, Hermione?"

"I am perfectly fine, Ron." Her cheeks turn pink as she wonders if maybe, somewhere down the road, they end up together. She's never imagined it before. He's just so... immature.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, thank you. Now, I must be on my way. I refuse to be late for class."

* * *

The next time she sees the woman she makes sure to get her attention.

"Miss!"

The woman tries to hide her face as she makes a beeline for Dumbledore’s office.

"I'm sorry. I don't believe I can help you."

Hermione reaches out to grab her, but the woman pulls back and looks at her. "You know very well, Hermione, that we should not speak."

"But I have so many questions..."

"I know you do. I can only say that everything works out in the end."

"But..." She is having trouble finding her words, "Weasley?!" She blurts out the name, incredulously.

Older Hermione smiles wistfully. "As I said, everything works out in the end."

Before Younger Hermione can say anything else, the woman disappears into the headmaster’s office.

Hermione stops lurking near Dumbledore's office. She decides that Older Hermione is right. She can't tell her anything or else the timeline could shift towards a disastrous outcome. She can't know anything about her future life because it might change everything. And Older Hermione seemed so happy. She wanted that.

But she does know one thing. She knows that she marries a Weasley. She just doesn't know which one.

She drives herself mad with the possibilities. She rules out Charlie and Bill because of the age gap and Percy because... well, he is Percy. She narrows it down to the twins and Ron. She tries to imagine falling in love with one of them, but she just doesn't feel that way about any of them.

She decides to forget about it as much as she can until she finishes her schooling. There would be plenty of time for love after that.

It isn't until the months following the Battle of Hogwarts and the defeat of Voldemort that Hermione finally understands who she is meant to be with.

* * *

Everyone at the Burrow is still reeling from the loss of Fred and so many of their friends. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley are obviously upset, but try to remain strong for their children. George puts on a brave face, even though everyone knows losing Fred was like losing half of his own soul. Ron is utterly devastated, but Ginny seems to struggle the most.

Ginny has been having night terrors over the last few months since the end of the war and Hermione has done her best to comfort the girl. She spends every night of the summer at the Burrow, refusing the leave the girl's side. She wakes every night to bloodcurdling screams and finds Ginny shaking and sobbing in her bed. Hermione holds her and whispers in her ear that everything is alright until she finally succumbs to her exhaustion.

One night in the beginning of August, Hermione wakes up startled at two in the morning. It isn’t one of Ginny's night terrors, which typically occur around this time, that wakes her. Instead, it is the eerie quiet that fills the room. She looks towards Ginny's bed and finds the girl sleeping peacefully. Hermione moves beds to lay next to her anyway, just in case. It is the first time Ginny sleeps through the night since the end of the war.

"Hermione?" Ginny wakes in the morning to find the older girl in her bed. "Did I wake you again last night? I'm sorry, I don't remember."

"Ginny, you slept through the night."

"I did?"

Ginny is surprised to hear that. She felt horrible for waking Hermione every night, but the other girl had become like her security blanket and she knows she wouldn't have gotten through these last few months without her. "Thank you, for everything. I can't imagine many people would have done what you have for me these last couple of months."

"Ginny, I will always be here for you."

Their eyes meet and her heart hammers against her chest and Hermione knows in that moment why her older self never revealed which Weasley she would marry. Because, at the time, Hermione would have thought her absolutely mad. But now, nothing in this world makes more sense.

She leans forward and places chaste kiss upon Ginny's freckled cheek. The younger woman smiles and Hermione's heart soars because she hasn't seen that smile in so long.

"You promise?"

"I promise, forever."

Ginny boldly captures Hermione's lips in a soft, yet passionate kiss. She has always been the more impulsive and daring of the two. Hermione is so caught up in the realization that she never knew such a gentle kiss could make her feel so much, that she doesn't reciprocate until Ginny starts to pull away. Hermione rolls over on top of her and kisses her hard and with a reckless abandon that she has never experienced. The way she gets caught up in the moment instead of obsessing over or analyzing what it might meant, is so unlike her. But, with Ginny, she doesn't worry about not being the best or doing something that would ruin the moment. Instead, she knows that Ginny would never judge her.

"Hermione," Ginny breaks away first, practically breathless, "I was afraid for a moment that you had turned into a dementor and were trying to suck out my soul."

Hermione rolls off Ginny with an unamused sigh. "Leave it to a Weasley to kill the mood with an immature joke."

"Are you calling me immature?" Ginny does her best to look offended. "I can assure you that I am a fully developed woman."

"Oh Gods. Stop."

"Make me."

A knock on the door is the only thing that stops Hermione from lunging at Ginny and actually attempting to suck the soul out of her.

"Um, Ginny? Hermione?"

"Yes, Ron."

"You better get downstairs for breakfast before mom comes in and drags you out of bed."

"We'll be there in a moment, Ron."

"Yeah, okay."

Hermione waits until she hears Ron's footsteps fading down the hall before she whispers into Ginny's ear, "I'm not done with you yet." She playfully nips at Ginny’s earlobe before she pulls away.

Hermione is halfway downstairs when Ginny finally comes out of her stupor. 'That woman will be the death of me.'

When Ginny finally makes it to the table, she walks in with a smile on her face. Molly's heart warms at the sight as she follows her daughter's eyes to the young woman who had been her rock the last few months. Hermione turns her head, as though she can feel Molly's eyes on her. Mrs. Weasley gives Hermione a grateful smile and nods her head towards Ginny, who is now arguing with Ron about moving seats so she can sit next to Hermione.

"Ronald Bilius Weasley, move!" Ron quickly removes himself from his seat at the sound of his mother's booming voice.

* * *

"Hermione, may I have a word?" Molly asks after breakfast.

"Of course."

"Alone," Molly directs at her daughter.

"Fine." Ginny heads outside, following after George and Ron, who were de-gnoming the garden.

"Hermione, thank you for being there for Ginny when I couldn't."

"It was-"

"Let me finish, please. It may surprise you to know that I saw this coming years ago. I've always noticed the looks you shared, even though you were both unaware of the true depth behind them. I know that you will always love and support Ginny. In my heart, I know where the future is heading. And I want you to know how grateful I am that she has you. I love and support both of you. Separately and together. I know neither of you need that from me. You two are very independent. But you do need each other, that I know for certain. I am so happy that you both finally came to your senses. There was a moment I feared you might misdirect your feelings onto Ronald."

"Oh gods, no. No offense, Mrs. Weasley."

Molly chuckles, "It's quite alright with me, dear. I'm glad you let your heart guide you to where it belongs. And please, Hermione, how many times must I tell you, call me Molly."

"Of course, Mrs- Molly. Thank you."

* * *

"What did my mom have to say?"

"Not a whole lot."

"You're lying."

Hermione gives Ginny a quick peck on the lips. "She said she always knew we'd end up together and she's happy that we finally came to our senses."

"Really?"

Hermione nods. "Anyway, I was thinking... what would you say to a little rendezvous in the broom shed?"

"Hermione Granger, are you actually suggesting we get hot and heavy in a room full of contraptions that you are afraid of?"

"First, I never said anything about 'hot and heavy'. Second, I'm not afraid of the brooms themselves. It's the whole flying thing that I don't particularly care for."

"We can change that. Would you like to go for a ride?"

"Would you like not being able to kiss me ever again?"

"You drive a hard bargain, Miss Granger. Rendezvous in the broom shed it is." Ginny grabs hold of Hermione’s hand and leads her towards the shed.

Hermione knows this is exactly how things were meant to be. She's still not sure why her older self was meeting with Dumbledore. She can only imagine it has more to do with information gathering than anything else. There is no way she would risk changing the future. Not when it appears her life is going to end up so much better than she ever could have imagined. She doesn't need a Time-Turner to guarantee that.


End file.
